Film Permits
Obtaining permission to film in Tanzania can be an expensive and time consuming process, so make sure to allow plenty of lead time.
A Film Permit costs $1000 and usually takes between 4- 5 weeks to process.
An expedited Film Permit costs $3000 but can still take around 2 weeks or less.
The first step is to complete all necessary applications with the help of your Tanzanian production service producer / fixer. You then submit your application at your closest Tanzanian embassy or consulate so that they can stamp the application. Once that is done you scan and email the application including the travelling crew passport information pages, script, shoot dates, shoot locations, and a letter addressed to the Tanzanian Film Board.
The Film Board then reviews the application by committee. The Tanzanian production service producer / fixer will liaise with the Film Board on your behalf throughout the process.
Additional licenses may be required to film locations such as wildlife parks. Allow plenty of lead time for these applications too. Note, filming with drones is not permitted in national parks.
If you need to film with a drone anywhere in Tanzania it is best to hire a local drone operator. Bringing in your own drone from abroad is a long process that requires approval from the Civil Aviation Authority.
Film In Tanzania/Zanzibar
Requirements and fees to film in Dar es Salaam City
You will need to get a filming permit from Tanzania Film Censorship Board and local Authority in Dar es Salaam City for you to be allowed film in Dar es Salaam City. Securing a filming permit in Tanzania can be an expensive and time-consuming process so make sure to allow plenty of time for us to help you secure the permit for you. The first step is to complete all necessary applications with the help of your Tanzanian production service producer/fixer. The application will be submitted to your local Tanzanian consulate so that they can complete the application. Once that is done you will send the original documents back to your Tanzanian service producer/fixer for finalizing with local Tanzanian authorities.
Tanzania Visa and work permit Advice
You will need to purchase a business VISA upon arrival with the invitation letter provided to you via FITZ or host. Fees range from $200-250. Proof of yellow fever vaccination and a COVID-19 certificate may be asked if arriving from affected countries. Visa, work permit, and other entry and exit conditions such as customs and quarantine regulations can change regularly. We advise you to contact your local Tanzanian embassy or here for the latest travel information to Tanzania.
Tanzania Vehicle Hire Services
FITZ will help you organize transport for film crews to film in Tanzania/Zanzibar. Tanzania’s preferred vehicle of choice is the 8-Seater Toyota Alphard. Depending on the nature of the production and where you are going second option is a Safari Vehicle used when travelling into the national parks.
Film Fixers to film in Dar es Salaam City
All our vehicles come with drivers who act as location fixers and most of them have been to almost all parts of Tanzania and are thus conversant with the local situations and are able to provide relevant information and fix any situation on the ground. These act as intermediaries between you and our office while on location in Tanzania.
Accommodation in Dar es Salaam City
Lodge options to stay in during filming in Dar es Salaam City range from Budget, mid-range to luxury options. You will choose what to stay in depending on your interests and budget. Lodges in Dar es Salaam City include the Hyatt Regency Dar es Salaam, The Kilimanjaro, The Green of Oysterbay, and City Lodge Dar Es Salaam among others.
What is the best time to film in Dar es Salaam City?
Filming in Dar es Salaam City is done throughout the year and the best time is during the months of December to February and then June to October which is relatively drier than March to May and November.
Why use Film In Tanzania/Zanzibar (FITZ)?
FITZ is a local fixer company based in Tanzania/Zanzibar, we assist filming companies and Production agencies in East Africa (Tanzania, Zanzibar, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda) and West Africa (Ghana, Nigeria). We handle all fixer services required with our professional team of local fixers and driver guides. We have all relevant connections with other service providers and government agencies to make sure that accreditation and filming permits are processed in the shortest time possible.
Tanzania In General
Situated in East Africa and bordered by Kenya, Uganda, DRC and Mozambique. Tanzania is a great place to film as it has a everything from famous wildlife parks to unique cultures, from snow-capped mountains to pristine white sand beaches & is known for its coffee, tea, cotton, and spice plantations. Tanzania has facilitated a number of great feature films such as Harari, Independence Day, Baraka, The Bucket List & Congo as well as a long list of wildlife documentaries.
Northern Tanzania
Situated in East Africa and bordered by Kenya, Uganda, DRC and Mozambique
Tanzania is a great place to film as it has a everything from famous wildlife parks to unique cultures, from snow-capped mountains to pristine white sand beaches & is known for its coffee, tea, cotton, and spice plantations. Tanzania has facilitated a number of great feature films such as Harari, Independence Day, Baraka, The Bucket List & Congo as well as a long list of wildlife documentaries.
North-Eastern Tanzania
Dar es Salaam, a commercial commercial port located on the Indian Ocean is Tanzania’s largest city and main production service centre where crew and equipment are based. The city is known for its beaches, islands, seafood, and music. Film locations of note include Kivukoni Fish Market, St. Joseph’s Cathedral, and Coco Beach. Mbudya Island, Bongoyo Island, Fungu Yasini Island are paradise island locations near Dar es Salaam. The semi-autonomous archipelago of Zanzibar consists of the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba. Zanzibar is known for beautiful palm-fringed white sand beaches and underwater photography locations. Stone Town is located in the heart of Zanzibar and features old Arabian townhouses, winding colonial alleyways and a busy port. Pemba Island is home to The Manta Resort, a floating underwater hotel. The desert islands near Pemba Island offer some of the best underwater photography options in the Indian Ocean. The TAZARA Railway is a 1,860km (1,160mi) long railway linking Dar es Salaam to the town of Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia. The journey runs through some of Tanzania’s most spectacular landscapes.
Central Tanzania
Dodoma is the capital of Tanzania. Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa. Rubondo Island National Park and Saanane Island National Park are located in this region.
Western Tanzania
Gombe Stream National Park is famous for its chimpanzees and the work done by Jane Goodall.Mahale Mountains National Park also on Lake Tanganyika has the largest known chimpanzee population. Katavi National Park is a flood plain known for its hippos, crocodiles, lions, zebras, giraffes, and hundreds of bird species.
Southern Highlands
Ruaha National Park is home to the Great Ruaha River, spectacular gorges, majestic trees, and hundreds of species of bird. Udzungwa Mountains National Park has tropical rainforest, mountain forest, miombo woodland, grassland and steppe.
South-Eastern Tanzania
Selous Game Reserve is the largest game reserve in Africa. Wildlife of note includes elephants, hippos and rhinos as well as buffalo, antelope, giraffe, warthog, wildebeest, lion, leopard, cheetah, and hundreds of bird species. Mafia Island Marine Park is known for its coral reef underwater photography, green turtle breeding sites, deep-sea fishing, and diverse birdlife. October to March are the best months for diving photography.
Top Filming Locations in Tanzania
Zanzibar and Stone Town – Zanzibar, an archipelago off Tanzania, is full of fascinating Arab influenced landmarks, townhouses with heavy elaborately carved doorways, winding alleyways, traders on every corner and spice bazaars. It’s a historic trade centre and from a location perspective, this town has maintained the integrity and authenticity of its historic urban fabric.
Mahale Mountains National Park – Located in the west of Tanzania, it’s white beach sprawling on the shores of Lake Tanganyika and snaking into the forested national park, Mohale is home to a growing chimpanzee population. It’s a gorgeous location with isolated and unspoiled landscapes.
Serengeti – Best known for its migration of about 3 million antelope, the Serengeti stretches between the Rift Valley and Lake Victoria. The park’s open grasslands allow for incredible wildlife sightings of lion, hyena, leopard, cheetah as well as crocodiles and the iconic wildebeest.
Kilimanjaro – Looking for rainforests, undulating paths, incredible night skies, alpine deserts, rocky outcrops and arctic terrain? Kili will give this to you in abundance!! Aside from being home to many wild animals, Africa’s highest mountain is home to an impressive array of vegetation – from cultivated fields of maize and sunflowers at the foothills to coffee plantations to natural forests and grasslands. This is an incredible location.
Ngorongoro Crater – Africa’s highest peak. Millenia ago, this was a gigantic volcano that erupted and collapsed on itself; now it’s a caldera which is about 120km west of Arusha. Home to 43000 Masai and herds of buffalo, wildebeest and zebra, Ngorongoro also boasts lion, leopard, cheetah, serval cats, and many bird species. Black rhino and elephant too – a real smorgasbord of wildlife readily seen in the open grasslands.
Lake Natron – a mineral-rich soda lake bordering Ngotongoro – a breeding ground for hundreds of thousands of lesser flamingos, and world-renowned for the amazing red colour of the water. And if you go there, you MUST climb the nearby Ol Doinyo Lengai or “Mountain of God” in the Maasai language – an active volcano.
Customs Bond Fee
In the event that you are bring equipment into the country for a production. Standard operating procedures dictate that, a payment known as a ‘Non Refundable Customs Bond Fee’ will need to be paid prior to your arrival at any port. This payment is 10% of the total value of the equipment that you will be coming into the country with.
FITZ, with the help of our long time veteran customs fixer, we provide customs bond fee negotiations that with the help reduce the amount you would normally pay for bond fees. The fixer will reduce the customs bond fee and will facilitate the crew and the equipment entry and exit into and out of the country.